"Bill Press turned in a letter of resignation to me, and he talked to all his officers at the station," Kant said. "Friday is his last day on the job."

The chief’s contract expires Nov. 5 with the swearing-in of the new City Council. Kant said Press would be paid through Nov. 5.

Assistant Chief Terry Sanders also resigned, Kant said.

"Terry, I understand, is going to retire," the mayor said.

Capt. Joe Pettis, the next-highest ranking officer in the department, will serve as acting chief until Press is replaced, Kant said.

Press did not return telephone calls from the Press-Register seeking comment.

Timeline of tumultuous tenure of Bill Press as police chief of Fairhope

July 2009 — Bill Press is sworn in as police chief of Fairhope.
At the request of Press, the council hires Terry Sanders, who had been the interim chief, to serve as assistant police chief.

November 2009 — Press draws some criticism for the department’s tactics in handling the co-owner of a downtown pizza restaurant who barricaded himself inside the building. Police shut down surrounding businesses and a dance performance is canceled.

May 2010 — Mayor Kant threatens to fire Press if he does not reinstate free patrol-car escorts for funeral processions. Press had announced his intention to end the escorts for lack of staffing, money and vehicles, as well as liability concerns. Press responds that he will follow Kant’s order but that the mayor is "irresponsible." Two weeks later, the City Council votes to stop the escorts.

March 2011 — During an appeal hearing before the City Council, former human resources director Rhonda Bishop says she was fired because she "butted heads" with Press about complaints made by his employees. City Administrator Gregg Mims says Bishop was fired for poor performance. The council declines to overturn the firing.

June 2011 — Kant, Press and other city officials testify before the Alabama Ethics Commission on a complaint filed by Kant about the chief’s use of a private bank account to pay officers for off-duty security work. Kant says the practice violates a city ordinance.

August 2011 — After the Ethics Commission clears Press, the City Council agrees to pay his legal fees.

September 2011 — The council agrees to hire an independent consultant to evaluate complaints about a hostile work environment and "potential dangerous situations" inside the Police Department.

October 2011 — The council votes to pay more than $20,000 in legal fees to Vince Kilborn, the high-profile lawyer who represented Press in the ethics investigation. The consultant’s investigation of working conditions finds that Press could do a better job of communicating with his employees but there is no evidence of "dangerous" working conditions.

November 2011 — The Press-Register reports that more than 10 percent of the police force has been on administrative leave for several months since Press recommended they be fired. Kant says delays occurred because of Bishop’s firing, the consultant’s review and the resignation of the municipal judge who had been the department’s personnel review officer.

March 2012 — The last of the six Police Department employees Press wanted gone resigns ahead of a disciplinary appeal hearing.

July 2012 — Press reviews 10 cases of employee misconduct for the City Council and accuses Kant of colluding with two new council candidates to not rehire him if they are elected. Press said employee misconduct included sending pornographic photographs and text message to other personnel on duty, inappropriate sexual contact, inappropriate sexual relationships and in one case driving a personal vehicle nearly into the lobby of the department.
Kant denies meeting with candidates or former department employees about the chief and expresses concern that Press may have violated the rights of the employees by making the allegations public.

September 2012 — Kant and four new council members are elected. With his contract set to expire Nov. 5, Press resigns.

With Kant re-elected and four new council members taking office, Press’ job was widely thought to be in jeopardy. Last week, incumbent Mike Ford and Councilman-elect Rich Mueller both told the Press-Register they thought Press wasn’t a good fit for a small town.

In most cases of conflict with Kant, the chief was supported by four council members who were defeated on Sept. 11. Council President Lonnie Mixon ran against Kant for mayor, while Debbie Quinn, Dan Stankoski and Rick Kingrea lost their re-election bids.

Kant said he would probably meet with incoming council members in groups of two to discuss the chief’s job and other matters.

Press, who holds a Ph.D., came to Fairhope in 2009 after retiring from the Miami-Dade, Fla., Police Department. He spent 35 years in Miami, the last five as captain of crime scene investigations.

Press has said that he upgraded hiring standards for the department and addressed technology deficiencies. He also recommended that six employees — making up about 10 percent of the department — be fired for alleged misconduct. In a written presentation to the council, he said 10 employees had committed acts of grievous misconduct including inappropriate sexual activity.

Other examples of strife with Kant included the mayor threatening to fire Press if he ended free police escorts for funerals, and Kant making a complaint to the Alabama Ethics Commission about the chief’s use of a private bank account to pay officers who performed off-duty security work.

The City Council eventually voted to end funeral escorts, and the Ethics Commission cleared Press.

Stankoski said that when Press was hired, all five council members and Kant agreed he was the best of 116 applicants. The new chief was given a mandate to update and upgrade the department in many areas, but change proved to be difficult, Stankoski said.

"Personally, I think Bill Press was good for the department, and I wish him well. I think he is a man of character. I think the city has benefited from his time here," Stankoski said.

The outgoing councilman said he hopes the new police chief will build on what Press accomplished.

Asked to name his biggest problem with Press, Kant said. "My philosophy of community policing and his philosophy of community policing were different." The mayor said he thought there should be more police officers out on the street.

But much of the problem, Kant said, was in communication and lines of authority.

He blamed the council for giving Gregg Mims the title of city administrator and telling Press to report to Mims instead of the mayor. "It created an environment where you didn’t know who was really in charge," Kant said.

Kant said Press did make some good improvements in the Police Department. The chief instituted better discipline, upgraded technology and improved rules and procedures governing the department, the mayor said.